- Date
- March 22, 2016, 10:41 local (15:41 UTC)
- Place
- Allison, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N347NNicholson David F RV 9
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA Des Moines FSDO
- FAA report
- 20160322002549I
- Case key
- 92870
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper soft-field landing technique, which resulted in a nose landing gear collapse and a nose over.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that while landing on a grass airstrip, the nose landing gear "caught" on the soft turf and collapsed. The airplane slid about 60 feet, the forward portion of the fuselage impacted terrain, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, rudder, vertical stabilizer, and firewall. The pilot verified that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. As a safety recommendation, the pilot reported to keep the nose landing gear off the ground longer during the landing.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while landing on a grass airstrip, the nose landing gear "caught" on the soft turf and collapsed. The airplane slid about 60 feet, the forward portion of the fuselage impacted terrain, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, rudder, vertical stabilizer, and firewall. The pilot verified that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. As a safety recommendation, the pilot reported to keep the nose landing gear off the ground longer during the landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N347N
- Reported as
- Nicholson David F RV 9 (A)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 90347
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 202.7
- Engine
- Subaru/Eggenfellner 2.5L, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Nicholson David F.
- Registered owner
- Nicholson David F.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 25, 2015
- Departed
- C25 · Waverly, IA
- Destination
- K98 · Allison, IA
- Airport
- K98 · Allison Muni, runway 18, 1,790 × 175 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Data recorder, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 17, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 320 total · 202 in this make and model · 241 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 9 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.59 inHg
- Observed at
- KCCY, 21 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 20, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.